Magnetism
by Celtic Oak
Summary: AU. She left him once and it broke both of them. But now, destiny has arranged for them to meet again and this time, he doesn't intend to let go. GaaSaku.
1. Unexpected

Gaara just keeps popping up in my head and demands for me to write him a leading role in a story next to his favourite pink haired lady. What's a girl to do but to obey his every whim?

This fic will be separated into two chapters. I'll put the next one up as soon as possible.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the characters of Naruto. I only have claim on my over-imaginative brain.

Hope you like it.

* * *

**Unexpected**

The sound of the phone ringing disturbed Sakura's quiet bath. Groaning in frustration, she decided to let it ring, not wanting to abandon her extremely comfortable position beneath the hot water and abundant bubbles.

But whoever was calling was persistent.

In an attempt to block the annoying noise, she ducked below the foam, holding her breath for a few seconds. When she thought it was safe to emerge, she came up for air, only to hear the sound of Ino's voice on her answering machine.

"…because you're too lazy to answer your phone! I know you want to stay in the bath all night, but if you don't hurry the hell up, we're going to be late for the party. Hiroshi and Jiro said they would meet us there in 40 minutes. I'm picking you up in 20 so you'd better be out the door! Now move your ass!"

And with that, the line went dead.

Sighing deeply, Sakura berated herself for accepting Ino's invitation. All she wanted to do was to stay home and huddle beneath the blankets with a good book. But she knew she could do this every other day and she wasn't about to leave Ino hanging. Her friend always told her she should go out more and had been currently dedicating most of her time to creating plans just to force Sakura out of her apartment. And at the same time, the scheming blond had been trying to revive her friend's love life.

Getting up from the deliciously relaxing bath, Sakura towelled herself dry and went into her bedroom. Opening up her closet, she looked over her wardrobe, trying to pick out a decent outfit for the cocktail party they were about to attend. Thanks to Ino, she had a date for the party and needed to dress accordingly.

Her friend had been dating Hiroshi, a sleek and stylish business man, for around three months. He was _everything_ Ino could ever want in a man: rich, casually cool, witty and clean cut. They actually made the perfect couple. Since she got along with the man so well, Ino suddenly decided that Sakura needed someone like him as well. Hence, a couple of weeks ago she had set her up with Jiro, Hiroshi's business partner, in an attempt to get her pink haired friend "back on track", as she liked to say. They had gone out on a few dates already and Sakura found he was a really nice man, very polite and proper.

But he wasn't the type of male the pink haired girl would ever be interested in. He was just _too_ correct and _too _decorous… Sakura always became self-conscious of her manners whenever she was around him. Everything he ever did was completely flawless and in fact, she actually found him a bit boring. He was just so predictable. But she knew how persistent Ino was, so she was willing to give Jiro a chance. It did her no harm to humour her friend for a while.

In all honesty, Sakura didn't think she needed any help with her love life… she was perfectly fine as she was. After having gone through some disastrous relationships after she graduated from college, she had decided it was time to stay away from men for a while, despite Ino's efforts. At any rate, no man in the world would ever come close to being anything like _him_…

'Don't even go there, Haruno!' she said to herself, stopping her train of thought abruptly. 'It was your decision to leave him, so, there's no point in mopping about it is there? You have gone on with your life, you are happy and you do not have any regrets.'

Nodding at herself after her inner pep talk, she picked up a dark green spaghetti strapped dress. Its hem reached just above her knees and it hugged her figure very nicely, leaving her whole back bare. She didn't have many opportunities to wear the dress, but whenever she did, it made her feel extremely sexy.

Satisfied with her chosen outfit, she placed the dress on her bed and went back into the bathroom to get ready. After a record time of 10 minutes, her short cherry hair was dry and perfect, her make up flawlessly applied and simple silver earrings and matching necklace in place. Carefully pulling on the dress, she surveyed herself in the full length mirror behind her bedroom door. Choosing a pair of black high-heeled sandals, she hurriedly put them on as she started to empty the contents of her purse on the mattress. Selecting the most important items, she placed them inside a small black leather bag, which matched perfectly with her shoes.

In that instant, the doorbell of her apartment rang. Standing up in a hurry, she quickly put on some perfume as she went. Grabbing her coat from the back of her living room couch, she was opening the door in a second and was met by the tall figure of Yamanaka Ino on the other side.

She wore a long dark purple dress with matching pearl earrings and necklace, her long hair tied up in an intricate hair style. No matter what she wore, her friend always managed to look stunning.

"Ready?" the blond asked cheekily, turning round on her heel and walking down the hallway before Sakura could answer.

Smiling as she shook her head, the pink haired girl closed and locked the door behind her, falling into step next to her friend.

XXXXXXX

"Ladies, you look dazzling," Hiroshi said to them, as they walked up the steps to the entrance of the elegant hotel. The cocktail party they were attending was being held in celebration of a recent merge between two powerful companies, therefore, all the important business men in the city had been extended an invitation.

As the two women approached, Jiro, who was standing besides his partner dressed in an impeccable suit, came forward, taking Sakura's hand in his and raising it to his lips.

"Good evening, beautiful," he said to her, as he brushed his lips across her knuckles.

"Good evening," Sakura replied with a smile, but inwards, she was preventing herself from rolling her eyes at his antics. He was just so gentleman-like most of the time that it bordered on tacky.

"Shall we?" he asked, placing his right hand on the small of her back and gesturing towards the door.

Nodding in response, the pink haired girl drew in a deep breath, asking the heavens for the patience needed to see this night through.

They made their way through the hotel lobby, heading directly towards the large hall located at the back of the first floor. There was a large crowd spread across the large room and there were open doors located all to one side, leading out to a beautiful garden.

Once they were treading through the crowd, Jiro and Hiroshi would stop every three seconds, greeting acquaintances as they went. Sakura was pulled into their conversations and was introduced to various people. Waiters passed by every so often, providing the guests with constant supplies of liquor. Ino, who loved to be the centre of attention, relished in this type of event and would enthusiastically join in, providing all the witty remarks at all the right moments.

After around half an hour of such activities, Sakura found her attention inevitably slipping. She truly wasn't made for this type of social gatherings; she would have felt much more at home visiting the city's best clubs, dancing the night away in a pair of comfortable shoes. These people around her disgusted her to some extent, with there superficial ways and their meaningless banter. If you didn't have any money, you were no one in this place. It was a view of life the pink haired girl had never agreed with.

Excusing herself quickly, she decided it was time for some fresh air. Walking swiftly towards the food tables which were located by the open doors, she picked up a glass of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter and gulped it down hurriedly. She was going to need as much booze as she could get to survive this night, so she'd better get started.

Reaching her destination, she picked up a small plate and proceeded to fill it up with every type of delicacy displayed on the table. Once it was full, she turned and walked towards one of the doors. Eating her food casually as she surveyed the people in the hall before her, she stood underneath the doorway, the night breeze at her back.

Suddenly, the hairs on her nape stood on end as a chill ran its way down her spine. Looking up suddenly, she tried to pinpoint the source of this strange feeling as she gazed searchingly all over the large room. Her emerald eyes came to an abrupt halt as they met an exceptionally unexpected sight, letting her know that the sudden chill she had experienced had nothing to do with the soft wind blowing through the garden.

There, standing beside a table across the room, looking like he owned the whole place, stood a handsome red headed man, staring directly towards her. His tall form filled up the suit he was wearing extremely well and his flawless face contrasted dramatically with a crimson tattoo on his forehead. But his eyes were the feature which commanded everyone's attention. The intensity behind his jade orbs spoke of a passionate and fiery nature and Sakura knew that any woman would falter underneath his zealous stare.

She herself had faltered underneath it once.

_Gaara_

Sakura's vision started wheeling suddenly as she realized she was in enormously deep trouble. He was the _last_ person she thought she would meet at such an event. What the hell was he doing here? He hated this type of thing!

'Concentrate girl!' she berated herself. 'You need to worry about your own predicament for the time being!'

Her first instinct was to flee. She needed to get out of here… _now._ If he came up to her, he would demand answers for her sudden departure and would most likely cause a scene in the middle of the whole party. She knew precisely how volatile his temper was, which meant that every person in the room was in immediate danger of being beaten up.

As her mind worked furiously, she realized she would have to tread through the thick crowd to get to the exit and would have to give explanations as to why she was fleeing the place. But _screw_ Jiro, and screw Ino too! She needed to get out here quickly if she wanted to save her skin. Knowing she had enough money in her purse to grab a cab, Sakura realized this was the best option for her. However, the multitude of people gathered around her escape route was increasing by the minute.

'The garden!' Sakura thought desperately. 'It must connect with the lobby at some point.' Ino would have to pick up her coat for her if she went this way, but it didn't matter. All that mattered now was to evade him!

Just as the pink haired girl was about to bolt, her blond friend stepped in front of her.

"Hey sugar, seen any handsome…" she started to say, but Sakura grabbed her wrist in a vicelike grip, silencing her immediately.

Confusion crossed Ino's bright eyes as she looked intently at her friend. The pink haired girl's face was extremely pale, as if she had just seen a ghost.

"Gaara's here," she said in simple explanation.

The blond's eyes widened in shock. "_The_ Gaara?" she asked in disbelief.

Sakura nodded solemnly.

"Where?"

"Across the room, next to one of the tables. He's easy to spot… he's a red head."

Ino lifted her eyes casually, surveying the people around them. Even though she had never met him, she spotted the man Sakura was talking about after just a few seconds.

"He's hot!" she exclaimed, gazing back at her friend.

"Ino, that's not the point!" Sakura hissed, gripping the blond's wrist even tighter.

"Ok,ok," Ino replied, trying to rescue her hand.

"I need to get out of here," the pink haired girl said in desperation.

"Alright, you can take my car. I'll ask Hiroshi to take me home," Ino said, digging around her purse for the keys.

But as she found them and took them out to give them to her friend, her pale eyes looked over Sakura's shoulder.

"Sweety, he's coming over," she told her, trying to keep her voice calm.

"_What?_" the pink haired girl hissed.

"He's making his way towards us."

"Ino!"

"Don't worry, I'll distract him. You make your way to the lobby in the meantime. I'll meet you there in…"

But she was interrupted by Hiroshi, who came up and took her by the arm. "Ino, honey, there's someone I want you to meet…"

And before either of the girls could do anything, he had taken her away, pulling her towards a group of people nearby.

As Sakura watched her friend go, the world tumbled down upon her.

Suddenly, there was someone at her back and she could feel _his_ strong presence as if it were a physical touch.

Bracing herself, the pink haired girl mustered all the courage she stored in her small frame to turn around.

And there he was.

After three years, he was as handsome as she remembered him. Everything about him made her knees tremble… his ruffled hair, his penetrating jade eyes, his nose, his lips… This was the precise reason why she needed to avoid him. Once she was beside him, she would be under his power and it would only take a small gesture from him for her to fall helplessly into his arms again.

"Sakura," he whispered fervently, looking directly into her emerald eyes.

At the sound of his voice and with the way he said her name, images of his rough hands travelling over body while they were making love filtered through her mind.

The pink haired girl stifled a sudden urge to burst into tears.

They looked at each other silently for long moments, the world around them falling into the background. Lost in the gaze of the other, they were content just to stare. It had been _so_ long.

He was the one who decided to break the spell.

"Why?" he asked simply, a spark of temper behind his green eyes.

"Gaara, I…" she started to say, but Jiro was suddenly beside her.

"Darling, I see you've met the man of the party," he said with a smile. "We're celebrating in his honour tonight."

'_Darling_?' Sakura thought desperately after the shock of the interruption had passed. 'Why did you have to say that?'

As if on cue, Gaara's eyes darkened with anger as he looked at Jiro with barely controlled hatred in his gaze.

But the other man was clueless to the deadly intent in the red head's gaze.

"In his honour?" the pink haired girl asked Jiro, trying to provide some distraction.

"Yes, he's now the owner of the whole Suna Corporation and one of the richest men in the world," he replied, lifting his wine glass towards Gaara in salute.

"Owner?" Sakura asked in shock, turning to look over at the tall man in front of them.

Momentarily, jade met emerald as the red head nodded in response to her question. But their gazes didn't hold for long as he turned back to Jiro, whose hand was now caressing Sakura lightly on the arm.

She knew she needed to do something before the red head murdered the business man with her bare hands in front of everyone.

But a diversion appeared from the most unlikely of sources.

"Gaara, baby, here you are!" a tall voluptuous woman said, coming up and draping herself all over him. Standing a head taller than Sakura, she had platinum blond hair and was wearing a red dress which exposed more skin than it actually covered. Her large breasts were basically hanging out in the air and the crease of her dress left her legs exposed up to mid-thigh.

"Won't you introduce me to your friends?" she asked, smiling down disdainfully at the pink haired girl.

It was Sakura's turn to see red.

'A _bimbo_?' she thought furiously, 'he's dating a bimbo?'

Before Gaara had the chance to open his mouth, she whipped around and started walking into the crowd, pushing a startled Jiro away. Spotting Ino easily, she stalked up to her friend.

"Keys, now!" she exclaimed, not caring if she was interrupting a conversation.

Looking at Sakura's angry eyes, Ino didn't dare to utter a word and handed over her car keys.

"I'll talk to you in the morning," the pink haired girl said as she turned towards the exit and walked towards it in a hurry, anger building with every step. Making a quick stop at the coat room, she crossed the lobby hastily, heading directly towards the revolving doors which would let her out of the building.

Once outside, she pulled her coat on with rough movements as she went down the steps, cursing the shoes she was wearing since they didn't allow her to walk any faster.

Entering the parking lot, she was closing in on Ino's car when a pair of strong arms grabbed her from behind.

"Where are you going?" Gaara whispered angrily in her ear.

"Let go of me!" she exclaimed, as she struggled to escape from his grasp.

"Never," he replied fervently, turning her around to face him in a single movement. Before she could say anything, he crushed her against his chest.

"What is he to you?" he asked, a dangerous tone in his voice as he buried his face in her hair.

Face against his muscled chest, surrounded by his unique smell as she was held in his strong embrace, she could do nothing but do his bidding.

"He means nothing to me," she said truthfully, trying to fight the tears which were starting to fill her eyes at his closeness.

"I could crush him with a single blow. I could leave him out on the street with a disfigured face and no money," he threatened arrogantly.

She knew he wasn't bluffing. He never bluffed. He possessed the calculating coldness to act out every single one of his threats.

He was unimaginably possessive and incredibly jealous. But he was also unbelievingly caring and he would always place her needs first before his own, always thinking about her before he even thought of himself.

Oh, how she _missed_ him.

But this could never be.

"What's she to you?" she asked defensively, bringing her anger up as a protective barrier once more.

"She's a stupid air-head who I can discard at a moments notice," he replied without hesitation.

Sakura tried to struggle out of his hold once more. Surprisingly, he released her somewhat, allowing her to stare up at his face but holding her firmly in place.

"All this time, I've been searching endlessly for you," he whispered passionately. "A day wouldn't go by without me thinking about you, Sakura."

As her name fell from his lips, the pink haired girl felt a tear run down her cheek.

"I _do not_ let go of what is mine," he said ardently. "Remember that."

Looking up into his eyes, the pink haired girl felt the world fade away. It would be so easy to allow herself to fall into the magic spell he wove around her, to fall powerlessly into his arms and let him take her away.

It would be too easy…

_Get out of here girl, before I make my boys take you away. My son deserves a lot better than you… stay away from him._

As the memories came tumbling into her mind, she thrashed against his hold.

"Gaara, I can't!" she exclaimed desperately.

"Why not?" he asked furiously, gripping her more tightly.

"Sakura!" someone yelled from the hotel's door. It was Jiro. Following close behind him, came Ino and Hiroshi.

Growling in wrath, Gaara looked up at the approaching man.

"Jiro, stay away!" Sakura screamed.

"Is he hurting you?" the business man asked in concern.

"No", she replied. 'He would never hurt me,' she added inside her mind.

Staring maddeningly at Jiro as he came closer, Gaara wanted nothing more than to beat the man into a pulp of flesh and bone.

Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Sakura slipped out of his grasp and ran as fast as she could towards Ino's car. She unlocked it hastily, falling into the driver's seat even as she turned on the ignition.

She could see Gaara standing a small distance away, but she pushed all thoughts of him from her mind. Backing the car up, she speeded away as she crossed the parking lot in the blink of an eye, heading down the road at a dangerous velocity.

Staring at the receding vehicle, jade eyes watched as the love of his life left him once more. But that didn't matter. He was now aware that she was living in this city and it would take his agents a small amount of time to track her down.

He would get his answers and after he did, he would never let her walk out of his life _ever_ again.

Walking back towards the hotel he saw Jiro approach him out of the corner of his eyes.

"Hey, what were you doing to her?" he asked angrily, intercepting the red head's path.

Without a word, Gaara pushed him forcefully aside, sending the man flying into a nearby car.

He passed Ino and Hiroshi along the way, but did not spare them a glance.

There were more important things he needed to take care of and the sooner he started, the sooner he would have his pink haired woman back in his arms.

XXXXXXX

Bursting through her bedroom door, Sakura plunged herself on her bed, face buried beneath her pillows. Body wracking sobs shook her frame as the tears she had been fighting through her drive home were finally released.

Why did she have to see him again? Why?

She had tried so hard to forget him and she had almost succeeded. She had been able to live for a whole three years without him. And now, he suddenly walked back into her life, leaving her breathless with a mere stare.

And then he had to go and embrace her… he had held her in his strong arms and she had been helpless to do anything about it.

It had felt _so_ right... it had felt like she belonged there.

That was the reason why it hurt so much.

She knew she loved him, from the bottom of her soul. She knew she would love him until the end of her days, but the ironies of this wicked world would not let her have the man she loved.

She had been forced to leave, for both their sakes.

Not bothering to take off her dress, the pink haired girl cried all through the night, sobbing into her pillow. She was aware of nothing but the excruciating pain in her heart, a hurt that cut her so deep it was almost physical. She almost expected her chest to start bleeding at any moment, her life liquid flowing away from her.

As the stars faded from the sky, her body collapsed from exhaustion and she fell into a restless sleep. But after a while, as she tossed and turned on the mattress, the vision of clear jade eyes made its way through the confusion, calming her in her sleep, as a deep voice echoed throughout her dreams.

_I do not let go of what is mine. Remember that._

XXXXXXX

Stepping out of the shower, Gaara quickly dried himself with a towel, putting on a pair of clean sweat pants he had placed by the sink. Walking shirtless out of the bathroom, red hair dripping as he went, he walked through the long expanse of his living room, stepping into his large kitchen.

Making himself a quick protein shake, he took up his large glass and stood by the huge window. His penthouse apartment had an amazing view of the mountains surrounding the city and he often indulged in just standing by one of his many windows, surveying the landscape.

After he had moved into his newly acquired home, he would frequently wish for a certain pink haired beauty to share in his contemplations with him. She had been the one who had taught him to stop for a few moments of every day, just to take in the splendour of his surroundings. Whenever he found himself staring out of the immaculate glass, he would _always_ think of her.

Three years ago, Sakura had abruptly walked out of his life, leaving only a small note of farewell on the living room table of the small house they had shared for a few months. There were no explanations in the note and despite all the effort and time he dedicated to searching for her, he had never been able to find her. It was as if she had disappeared from the face of the planet.

Raging and completely uncontrolled for many days following her sudden departure, he had cursed her with all his soul. Thankfully, he had his martial art as an outlet or else he would have surely gone crazy. Using his Kyokushin as a means to release all his violent emotions, he had won the world championship a few days after his lover had left him. The referees had been forced to separate him from his opponent by the end of the match, since he had been suffering from a terrible blood lust and would have killed the man in front of him without a second thought.

The months that followed had been disastrous and it had taken all of his willpower to regain some semblance of order in his life. He would go out and get amazingly drunk in an attempt to forget his heartache, picking violent fights wherever he went. Without his lover, life didn't seem to have any meaning and it had taken an abrupt wake up call from his brother and sister to put him back up on his feet.

They came to him one day, looking solemn and grave. Neither of the three siblings had ever had a problem with expressing things directly and brusquely, and that time hadn't been the exception.

They brought the news that his father was dead, killed by a hired assassin after he had failed to pay a personal debt to a local mafia boss. In his will, he divided his fortune between his three children but had left his multimillionaire company in the hands of his youngest son.

It had felt as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown directly in his face.

The news that his father was now deceased didn't affect him much. In truth, he was relieved that the old bastard had finally left them alone. He had never been a good father and had always treated his children with cruelty. In fact, it was a miracle that he had left them anything in his will _at all_. Gaara felt no love towards him and would have killed the fucker himself if he had had the chance.

What shocked him was the knowledge that he was now in charge of a huge multinational corporation and would have to assume full responsibility for it. Initially, he had balked at the idea, trying to dodge the burden which had been suddenly dropped on his shoulders. But eventually, his perspective started to change.

Realizing that despite the difficulties he might face, he was being offered another chance in life and he wasn't stupid enough to let it go by.

Hence, the red head took up the task with a flourish and succeeded incredibly in his endeavours, much to everyone's surprise. He had a natural talent for business, being the ruthless and calculating person that he was. The money flowed constantly into his pockets, and along with his siblings, he was allowed to live a life of luxury he had never been able to experience before. Even though their father had been filthy rich, he had never shared any of his money with his offspring, throwing them out of the house at a young age and forcing them to forge their own lives with their own bare hands.

Through it all, he had managed to forget Sakura, at least on the surface. He would always keep himself extremely busy, working until the late hours of the night. Constant distraction was the effective cure he applied for his heartbreak and across the years, he had somehow managed to live without her.

But now, when he had reached the pinnacle of his business career, he had come across her at the most unexpected of places. After all the efforts he had put into searching for her, he had, in the end, just _bumped_ into her.

It was if the universe was involving him in an extremely bad joke.

When he first spotted her, she had stolen his breath away. She was as beautiful as always, with an aura of brilliance and vividness all around her. He had hesitated at first, thinking that if he approached her, she would only be an illusion of his unstable mind.

But no, she had been real enough and she had felt his eyes on her across the large expanse of the crowded hall.

The moment her emerald eyes fell on him, Gaara knew that he would _have_ her in his arms once more. He knew it as clearly as he knew how to breathe. She was his destiny.

However, his pink haired beauty had attended the party in the company of one of the unimaginative idiots plaguing the city's industry.

How he had wanted to crush the bastard like an insect. How dare he place a hand on the skin of _his_ lover? How _fucking_ dare he?

The incident had taken place around three days ago but the red head could still fill the jealous anger pulsing through his whole body.

His cell phone rang suddenly where he had left it on the kitchen counter, interrupting his fervent fit of jealously.

"Yes?" he spoke into the phone.

It was one of his agents. After many hours of actively searching for her, they had finally found the home of the lovely Haruno Sakura.

Gaara grinned wickedly as he hung up, the address his agent had given him tattooed in his mind.

"It is time you return to me," he said out loud, staring up at the clouds passing across the mountains.

Turning swiftly on his heel, he hurried back into his bedroom. He needed to get ready… he had an appointment with the love of his life and he _wasn't_ going to be late.

* * *

As usual, let me know what you think. 


	2. Unforeseen

**A/N:** Wow, I really didn't expect so much praise for this story… your reviews have left me speechless… tear. To say that I love you all would be an underestimation!

I have good news for you! As I was writing this, I realized this chapter turned out to be a lot longer than I had anticipated, hence, I decided I needed to cut if in half or else it was going to be too long. So, instead of a twoshot, I'm making this a threeshot, so you can expect the final chapter sometime next week. Yey, you're going to get more of our favorite red head!

By the way, just a quick comment… of course this story is 'overdramatic' and 'emotional'! That's the whole point of the thing. If you try to sum up the whole situation in three concise chapters, this is the result you're going to get. So, if that's not your thing, just don't read it… it's simple. :)

But enough of my babbles, on with the show. Since as amwong88 said, "a jealous, possessive, almost psychotically attached and emotionally-dependent Gaara tops the list." I completely agree.

* * *

**Unforeseen**

Moving sluggishly up the stairs of her apartment building, Sakura gave out a long suffering sigh. After two days following the cocktail party incident, her heart still ached painfully and every time the image of Gaara crossed her mind, her chest would constrict agonizingly and tears would threaten to fall from her eyes once more.

She wanted nothing more than to stay locked up in her small room, hidden underneath the blankets, but every day life didn't stop for no one and there were many things she needed to take care of. After graduating from medical school, she had been offered an amazing variety of well-paying jobs, but had turned them all down. She had decided very early in her life that she wanted to help the people who didn't have the economic means to pay for a private doctor and had vowed to work at a public health clinic once she got her degree. The moment arrived and she managed to get a job at a local center two weeks after leaving college; it wasn't the best pay she could've aspired to, but it was enough to pay the bills and the rent of her small apartment.

However, problems had arisen lately, since the government had cut the funding for public centers by more than half and the resident doctors had been forced to look for other jobs. Eventually, most of them left the center altogether and only a scant few had remained behind, Sakura being one of them, which meant they were facing a dire economic situation. Deep inside, the pink haired doctor knew they would have to ultimately close the public clinic and she was afraid that it would be sooner than any of them expected.

Hence, her bills had recently become more difficult to pay and she had already taken out large chunks of her lifetime savings to afford a life of basic comforts. She obviously didn't mention any of this to any of her friends, especially Ino, since she knew they would try to pitch in and then she would have even more debts. Even though they would probably tell her she didn't need to pay them back, Sakura had always felt very strongly about money matters and always felt the inner obligation to pay back even the smallest of loans.

As she walked down the second floor hallway heading towards her apartment, she was glad that she had managed to gather enough money to pay her bills today. Once or twice, she had come home from work only to find that her water or electricity had been cut, since she hadn't managed to pay on time. She swore on her life that it would never happen again, even if it meant that she needed to look for a second job.

Digging around for her keys inside her bag, she realized that it was time to start sending curriculums out. It had taken her weeks to come to that decision, since she really loved her job at the center; she loved the looks of gratitude she received from her patients. The issue of leaving the clinic plagued her mind night and day… and like if that wasn't enough, she now had _another_ problem to worry about.

And that problem was named Gaara.

Deep in her bones she knew that she hadn't seen the last of him since she was aware of how stubborn he was. He would obstinately keep looking for her and wouldn't stop until he found her, especially now when he had some sort of clue of her whereabouts. When she had left him, she had made sure to leave no hints of where she might have gone. She didn't tell any of her college friends or any mutual acquaintances. She just grabbed her things and left. Knowing he would be leaving for the Kyoukushin World Championship later on that same day, Sakura was aware that he wouldn't have time to truly look for her until he came back three weeks later.

It was one of the most difficult things she had ever done in her life.

Thoughts of her red headed love were pushed to the back of her mind as she realized there was someone waiting by her apartment door. Looking up at the man, she recognized him as she came nearer.

It was Jiro… the last person she wanted to see in this very instant.

Plastering a very well practiced fake smile on her face, she walked up to him.

"Hi there Jiro, how are you?"

"Good afternoon, Sakura," he replied, looking her over. Her face was haggard and worn and her emerald eyes had lost most of their luster.

They stood there for a moment, looking at each other while an awkward silence descended upon them.

"Can I help you with anything?" Sakura prompted when it became clear that he wasn't going to speak.

He stared at directly into her eyes for a moment and a strange look crossed his eyes. She didn't know why, but a feeling of foreboding settled in her stomach.

Before she could do anything, the tall business man had crossed the distance between them and grabbed both of her arms forcefully.

Sakura cringed in pain, breath hissing through her teeth as she tried to pull away.

"Who _is_ he?" Jiro said harshly, a mad glint in his eyes.

"I don't know who you mean," Sakura replied as she continued to struggle.

Chuckling mirthlessly, he tightened his grip. "Don't play the fool with me, little girl. You know exactly who I mean. Was he your lover?"

'What the _hell_?' Sakura thought desperately. 'What is wrong with this idiot?'

"You mean Gaara?" she asked.

"Of course I mean Gaara," he said, shaking her roughly.

"Yes he was," she replied, willing to try anything for him to let her go.

"I knew it," Jiro said, a distant look in his eyes. "The bastard. Don't worry, I won't let him come near you again. He has no right to come close to my woman."

'Your woman?' Sakura thought furiously, her temper finally kicking in. Just whodid this bastard think he was?

Emerald eyes sparked with ire as she looked up directly at him. "I am not your woman! I'm _his_ woman!" she exclaimed as she lifted her knee and kicked him between the legs.

Never expecting her to retaliate in such a way, Jiro didn't even have time to dodge her blow and he crumpled forward in pain.

Jumping away from him, Sakura was already heading for her door, keys in hand. Opening up hurriedly, she rushed through it, only to slam it behind her and locking it effectively. Safe inside, her breathing was coming in breathing gasps as she attempted to calm down.

Jiro banged loudly on the door on the other side and Sakura jumped away. Thinking he might break it down, she ran into her room and tore open her closet door. Searching through it hastily, she found her baseball bat from her college softball days stashed at the bottom. She picked it up and ran back into the living room. Bat in hand as she faced the door, she braced herself, ready to hit Jiro if he dared to crash into her apartment.

She stood there for what seemed like an eternity, her arms finally tiring from holding the baseball bat in place. Approaching the door carefully, she put her ear up against it, but failed to hear anything on the other side. She moved swiftly to her living room window, which offered a view of the street. Jiro was walking hastily across it, heading for his car. Banging the door as he got in, he slammed on the gas as soon as he turned on the ignition, speeding away from Sakura's apartment block.

Letting out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding, the pink haired girl slumped to the floor, trying to get a grip of what had just happened. It was as if she had just entered a twilight zone, where nothing made sense and people were the opposite of what they seemed.

Polite and proper Jiro turned out to be a complete psycho. He belonged in a freaking mental hospital!

Her initial reaction had been to burst into desperate tears, but now as she thought over it better, she had decided that she had done enough crying for the last couple of days. It was time to get angry.

Ino was going to get it.

Dialing the number of her friend's cell phone in a blink of an eye, Sakura proceeded to yell in the blond's ear as soon as she picked up. Accusing her of setting her up with a mentally unstable bastard, she recounted the whole incident without leaving anything out.

Shocked speechless, Ino did not know what to say. She tried to comfort Sakura, offering to come over to her apartment and to keep her company. But the pink haired girl wouldn't have any of it. She was so angry she didn't want to see anyone. The best Ino could do was to promise that she would talk to Hiroshi and that she would get to the bottom of this.

Sakura didn't care what she did as long as Jiro stayed away from her. She knew the incident wasn't truly her friend's fault, but her wrath was in desperate need of an outlet.

By the time she hung up, the day was already starting to wane. Deciding she definitely deserved to relax while emerged in hot water and large amounts of water, she made her way to the bathroom. The room was barely large enough to accommodate her bathtub, but it was one of the luxuries Sakura had decided that she just couldn't live without. She was simply addicted to hot baths.

Opening up the faucet, she let the hot water fill the tub while she looked through her cabinet for the bottle of her favorite raspberry scented bubbles. While she waited, she sat on the edge of the tub, trying to arrange her thoughts into some semblance of order. She went over the whole incident in her mind, trying to find some hidden explanation behind Jiro's actions, analyzing every detail. The man was clearly a lunatic and had probably forgotten to take his daily medication.

But as she sat there watching the water rise while she relived her encounter, she came to realize that something completely inappropriate had slipped from her lips while she was struggling with the maniac… in her anger, she had told Jiro in no small terms that she _was_ Gaara's woman.

'Damn it!' she thought, burying her face in her hands.

It had been a completely unconscious slip, but it spoke volumes. At the moment, she didn't even want to begin to think about the implications of such a statement; however, she _did_ know it would bring large amounts of trouble, since Jiro was sure to retaliate in some way. Suddenly, the whole situation had the potential to become amazingly worse.

But she declined to cower before Jiro. Refusing to give the circumstances a moment more of her attention, she decided she needed to let it go for the time being, or else she would truly go completely insane.

Once the tub was full, she poured her liquid bubbles until the foam lathered considerably. Stripping quickly, she immersed herself in the deliciously hot liquid eliciting a loud sigh. Settling her arms on the rim, she threw her head back, forcing herself to relax and trying to let go of all the hectic emotions thrumming through her body.

But as she opened her eyes once more, she looked down at her arms and found the marks of Jiro's hands staring mockingly at her. The bruises went all around both her upper arm, like a perverse tattoo, and her skin was rapidly turning into a shade of deep purple. Brushing her fingers over the marks, she flinched in pain at the light contact, finding that they were extremely sore.

Cursing Jiro under her breath, her anger returned tenfold as she realized she would have to wear long sleeved shirts for the next couple of weeks. Deciding she would apply a special salve she had for bruises once she finished with her bath, she rested her head against the tub, contemplating all the ways she would have liked to hit Jiro with her baseball bat.

And in the back of her mind, a small part of her was glad that her anger had forced her to concentrate on other things and her thoughts were now free of a certain red haired man.

XXXXXXX

Late the next morning, Sakura woke up to find a message from Jiro on her answering machine. He apologized for his behavior and wanted to make it up to her by taking her out for lunch. Deleting the message even before it finished, she pulled on a comfy cotton jacket, roughly closing the zipper up to her neck. Walking the small distance to her kitchen, she turned on the coffee maker with violent jagged movements.

The guy had such a _nerve_!

In attempt to rid herself of the urge to throw Jiro into a giant blender, she busied herself with making breakfast. Cutting up some fruits and cheese, she placed them on a plate, pouring herself a glass of orange juice once she was done. She always liked to leave the coffee for last and drink it slowly while she read the newspaper or a magazine.

A few minutes after, she was sitting at her round dining table, which served as a multipurpose stand, since there were always books and piles of archives from her patients stacked above it. The table was round and it wasn't all that big; it was located to the side of the living room since her kitchen was barely large enough to accommodate two people at the same time.

Despite its limited dimensions, Sakura was extremely happy with her apartment. It offered all she needed and as long as she had a place she could call home, she wasn't going to complain.

Drinking her orange juice as she ate her fruits, she browsed through an old medical magazine she found on the table. There were some articles she hadn't read in it and proceeded tackle them while eating some of the cheese.

A loud knock on the door broke her concentration and made her jump in her chair. Eyes widening in apprehension, she quickly decided she was going to ignore it, sitting silently and making sure she didn't make the slightest noise.

But the knocking persisted.

After five minutes, the person on the other side still hadn't gone away and Sakura's temper was beginning to flare.

'This idiot! He thinks he can come here and harass me in my own home! The freaking _nerve_!' she thought furiously.

She wasn't going to cower before him, no matter what.

Standing up, she stalked her way to the door, picking up the baseball bat which was conveniently leaning against the wall. Gritting her teeth as she mustered all the anger she had been accumulating since the day before, she raised the bat with one hand, ready to strike as she opened the door with the other.

As soon as the door swung inwards, she grasped her weapon in a two-handed grip, coming forward and yelling as she went.

"Jiro, go awa…"

Her words died in her mouth and she finished her sentence with an unintelligible gurgle as all the blood drained from her face.

There, leaning casually against her doorway, stood the gorgeous red head that had been plaguing her dreams for the previous nights, dressed in a pair of jeans and a simple black t-shirt. His jade eyes widened in shock when he met the sight of his ex-girlfriend threatening him with a baseball bat.

'**Shit!**' Sakura thought vehemently, freezing completely for a few moments. In an attempt to amend her actions, she sheepishly tried to hide the bat behind her back and assumed a casual stance.

"Gaara," she said casually, as if finding him at her door was an everyday occurrence.

Naturally, he was far from being convinced by her little act.

Eyes darkening and forehead creasing in irritation, he came forward, forcing her to step back into her apartment. Closing the door behind him, he turned round to face her once more as he crossed his muscled arms over his chest.

"What was _that_?" he asked, voice low and dangerous, completely at odds with the look of supposed calm on his face.

Treating herself to every single insult she had ever heard in her life, Sakura found she couldn't look him directly in the eyes. She lowered her face and closed her eyes, as if the fact that she couldn't see him would make him go away.

She was officially in extremely deep trouble.

Silence reigned for a couple of agonizing minutes as they both stood there.

"Sakura, look at me," he said. It wasn't an order, but coming from him, it easily could've been.

At the sound of his voice, she knew she was powerless to do anything but his bidding. Biting her lip nervously in an attempt to control her emotions, she lifted her face.

He was just _so_ handsome, her heart skipped three beats.

As she looked up at him, she caught him staring openly at her legs, open desire in his gaze, and she suddenly remembered she was still in her boxer pajamas. Blushing slightly, she shifted on her feet, trying to fight the physical yearning his simple stare was causing.

His eyes traveled admiringly up her body until they reached her face.

As saddened emerald met fiery jade in a fated moment, Sakura knew she was done for.

"Talk," he said, face hardening momentarily.

"Gaara, I…" she started to say, but he stepped towards her as she spoke. She was so nervous she jumped slightly in surprise, carelessly dropping the bat she was holding. It made a loud thud as it landed on the floor.

"Damn it," she whispered harshly, picking it up hastily and moving towards the living room couch, where she deposited her improvised weapon.

"If your supposed _lover_ was coming over," Gaara spit out, the dangerous tone in his voice increasing tenfold, "why would you meet him at the door with a baseball bat?"

"He's not my lover," she said without hesitation.

"Good," he replied, a feral grin on his face. "But that still doesn't answer the question."

Gulping visibly, Sakura's brain worked furiously for a cover up. 'How the hell am I going to get out of this one?'

Stalking forward, he stepped up to stand in front of her, coming perilously close. The pink haired girl's mind suddenly went blank at his proximity, eyes inevitable staring at the exposed muscles of his crossed arms.

And to make matters worse, he caught her staring.

Chuckling slightly, Gaara reached for her, his hand wrapping around her upper arm in an attempt to pull her to him.

Flinching in pain at the contact, Sakura gave out an aching hiss. Gaara let her go immediately, concern and confusion in his jade eyes. Bemused, he looked at her as if asking for an explanation, but the pink haired girl refused to look at him again and proceeded to instinctively massage her arm with her opposite hand.

Seething anger quickly overcame him as his quick thinking mind started to put all the puzzle pieces together… her aggressive welcome, the baseball bat, the threat she was yelling when she opened the door and the way she was refusing to tell him anything.

Before she could do anything, he wrapped an arm around her waist. Lifting her up easily, he walked towards her dining table and used his other arm to swipe the clutter on top of it before he sat her down on the edge. Lowering her jacket's zipper in one fluid movement, he tore it off her shoulders, exposing her arms and leaving her in her pajama tank top.

The dark purple bruises glared at him, as if mocking him perversely. An uncontrolled rage thrummed through his body as he looked down at her arms and he had the sudden desire to destroy something with his bare hands.

Placing his hands on either side of her, he leaned in towards her. "You have three seconds to explain this to me," he hissed, his patience utterly exhausted.

Knowing he had already reached a dangerous level, Sakura trembled in an attempt to control herself. But it was too late. Having him here with her in her apartment, so close to her, his concern for her etched clearly in his gaze… it was just too much.

All the bottled up emotions she had been harboring since the day before chose to erupt in that moment and a body wracking sob shook her whole frame as she burst into sudden tears.

Reaching towards him, she grabbed his t-shirt with both hands and buried her face in his chest. As the relentless tears flowed freely, she felt his strong arms embrace her, holding her to him. Caressing her hair, he rocked her softly, his actions completely at odds with the incensed wrath which was engulfing him completely.

The words flowed out before she could stop herself. "He came here yesterday," she managed to say between sobs, "I don't know what was wrong with him but he was waiting for me when I got home and he grabbed me and shook me…"

Gaara's hold on her tightened; it took all of his control to prevent himself from leaving her apartment in that very instant to go and find the fucking bastard.

"… He was asking about you and I got angry and I kicked him. I managed to get into my apartment and lock him out. When you banged on the door just now, I thought it was him."

Pressing herself more firmly against him, she continued to cry. He held her through it all, waiting patiently until her sobs lessened, until only an occasional sniff could be heard. Once she had calmed down enough, he placed one hand under her chin, lifting her face to him.

The sight of her tear filled eyes almost broke him, threatening his already weak control. Jiro was officially a dead man and there was nothing anyone could do to prevent Gaara from getting to him. But for the time being, revenge could wait. He had been waiting three years for this… for the moment when he would have her in his arms again. They had unfinished business and now was the time to conclude it.

"Sakura, you don't need to worry about that idiot anymore," he told her, voice steady and full of confidence. "He won't bother you again."

Not sure if she wanted to know what Gaara would do to Jiro, she only nodded in agreement, thankful for his firm presence. He had always been like a rock... like a strong concrete base to which she could always cling on. He had been her anchor when she felt that the currents of the world were threatening to take her away. Now, he was falling into the same role again… and she was letting him.

Sakura was abruptly reminded that he was here for a reason when he picked her up effortlessly and walked over to her living room sofa. Sitting down with her in his lap, his arms wrapped around her, he turned to look at her, a stern expression on his face.

"Now we're going to talk about another matter," he said, deadly serious.

Hesitant emerald eyes looked up at his fiery orbs, as if asking for clemency.

But he was merciless.

"Why did you leave me?" he asked, direct as always. The hidden pain in his voice made her heart tighten painfully.

There was no way she could evade the question, no way to evade this whole encounter. It was time to face the truth and more importantly, it was time _he_ faced the truth. She had hidden it from him all this time for his own sake, knowing there would be a deadly conflict if she revealed her secret.

As fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, she mustered the courage to speak.

"It was your father," she told him, looking directly into his eyes.

She felt him go completely rigid underneath her as his jade orbs widened in shock for a second, before being consumed by a raging and uncontrolled wrath.

"What?" he asked in a whisper, closing his eyes in attempt to concentrate on something else apart from the cold, intense fury which possessed him.

"He forced me to leave you…"

XXXXXXX

_Putting the last of the boxes away in the closet, Sakura was interrupted by the sound of a knock on the front door._

"_Coming!" she shouted cheerfully, as she left the bedroom and headed towards the living room._

_But as she opened the door, the smile on her face faded immediately as she was met by a strange tall red headed man. Something about him seemed out of place and the nasty leer on his lips made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Two huge men stood behind him, a threatening air hanging all around them._

"_Can I help you?" she asked hesitantly._

"_Yes, you can," the man replied, the wicked smirk not leaving his lips. "Is my son in?"_

"_Your son?" she whispered, but it all suddenly clicked. The tall form, his face, the red hair… his eyes were the only aspect which differed from Gaara's. This man's eyes were dark brown, distant and cruel, while her lover's eyes were like a pair of jade jewels. _

_As realization washed over her, a feeling of foreboding settled in the pit of her stomach. Gaara had told her everything about his father and she knew that neither of them held any love for each other. In fact, if given the chance, they would ultimately attempt to destroy one another._

"_He's not in right now," she replied, closing the door slightly._

"_Good," he said, his smirk widening, "this doesn't involve him."_

_Abruptly stepping forward, he slammed the door open, stepping inside. One of his thugs grabbed Sakura forcefully by the arm pulling her forward. His hold was vigorous but not strong enough to leave marks. It was as if he knew exactly what he was doing and had done it countless times before._

_As the other man closed the door and locked it, Gaara's father sat down on the living room couch, making himself comfortable. Sakura was brought to stand in front of him, as the brute holding her held her hands behind her back._

"_Listen girl," he said, going straight to the point, "it has come to my attention that my son has become infatuated with you. So much so that he hasn't hesitated in the least when committing to you," he finished, looking around the house she shared with Gaara as if emphasizing the point. _

_Standing completely still, Sakura felt the blood drain from her face. She knew this man was capable of anything and to say that she didn't like where all this was going would be an amazing understatement._

"_Now, the problem is, I do not like him mingling is this type of affair," he continued casually, "I don't particularly like him getting into any serious relationships. You see, even though he doesn't know it, when I become old he will become the heir to my company and I don't want him concentrating on anything else but my business. Consequently, I will use him as my tool so I can continue to make money. I can't have him running around with a wife or children, his mind wandering off to these matters. These types of things are useless."_

_Sakura was appalled. The chilling cruelty and malice of the man in front of her horrified her. In any other instance, she would be seething with rage at his words. But she knew that he was dangerous… extremely dangerous. If she wasn't careful, her life could be easily placed in jeopardy… and not only her life, but Gaara's as well._

_Giving out a disdainful sigh of suffering, he continued relentlessly. "I know you will not want to leave him since I know you're 'in love' with him too," he said cynically, "so, I'm here to make sure you __**do**__ leave. It will make things so much easier."_

_She couldn't believe this was happening. It was a nightmare, it had to be…_

"_I'm going to make you a deal. You will take your things and leave within the week," he leaned forward as he spoke, his eyes taking on a glint of utter cruelty, "if not, I will break both of Gaara's legs so he can't attend the Kyokushin World Championship… and not only that, I'll make sure to destroy his bones enough so he can never practice his beloved martial art again."_

_The pink haired girl thought she would faint… her heart didn't want to believe him, but her mind knew that he was completely capable to performing such a deed._

"_This doesn't have any implications on my plans, since he can always go to work at my company in a wheel chair!" he added as he erupted into a fit of malicious laughter._

_Intense nausea invaded her abruptly at his words. How could a person like this exist in this world? Gaara was his __**son**__. How was he able to even imply such cruel actions? He was an expert in these type of things; he didn't even need to threaten her physically… he didn't even need to threaten __**her**__. He knew what her weakness was and he was exploiting it to his utmost benefit._

_Gaara was her weakness and he knew she would do anything to protect him. Kyokushin was the only thing her lover had in this world… it was the only thing which kept him going. It was his __**life**__. It was what brought food to the table and what forced him to better himself in every aspect. It was his dream._

_She would leave him… for his sake, she would leave him._

_And his cruel father knew it._

_The thug behind her let her go abruptly and she fell to her knees, the strength in her legs suddenly gone._

_Gaara's father stood up then and walked towards her. Looking down at her with his vicious eyes, he snickered as he spoke._

"_Get out of here girl, before I make my boys take you away. My son deserves a lot better than you… he doesn't deserve for a woman to drag him down. Stay away from him."_

_With that he walked towards the door, his two brutes following close behind him._

"_By the way," he added when he was about to step outside, "if you ever mention any of this to him, he will wish that I had only broken his legs."_

_And then he was gone._

_Staring blankly at the wall, Sakura let the tears run freely down her face as her heart broke into a thousand pieces in the reigning silence._

XXXXXXX

For the first time in his life, Gaara let disbelief wash all over him as she finished speaking, having told him all her story and not leaving anything out. Cradling Sakura in his lap, he crushed her to him, burying his face in her neck as he tried to fight the chaotic emotions inside him which were fighting for control.

Fury at what his _hateful _father had done. Grief at what his love had been forced to live. Relief at the fact that she hadn't left him because he had done something wrong, as he had been inclined to think after so much time. Incredulity at what this life had forced them to suffer.

If she had told him then, he would've been prepared to face his father's thugs, even if they did break his legs. He would have sacrificed her martial art for her just like she sacrificed her happiness for him. But it was too late to think of what could have been.

Fresh tears sprung to Sakura's eyes as she wrapped her arms around him, embracing him with all the strength in her small frame. Reliving the experience with his father had been extremely painful and she needed his powerful presence to comfort her. Despite all this, she had never thought she would get the chance to tell him the whole story and now that she had done so, it was like a 10 ton weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

They held each other in silence for a long time, each lost in the breathing of the other.

Eventually, he shifted underneath her and lifted his face, looking directly into her eyes. Losing himself in her emerald orbs, Gaara proceeded to say the words which would end their suffering… which would end the distance she had been forced to place between them.

"Sakura," he said emotionally, "my father's dead."

Blinking in puzzlement as she looked at him, the words and their implication took a few moments for them to register in the pink haired girl's brain.

Eyes widening in realization, she uttered the first word which came to her mouth. "What?"

"He's dead," the red head explained, "he died two years ago. That's the reason why I'm filthy rich now, and the owner of Suna Corporation. Much to everyone's amazement, I inherited the company when he passed away. But now that you've told me your story, it sort of does make sense."

"But how?" she asked in complete shock.

"An assassin was hired to kill him, since he owned some mafia boss a large gambling debt. My father had more than enough money to pay him, but it seems he didn't like it when he lost his bets. So, due to his foolish pride, he didn't pay the man on time and got himself killed."

Sakura's mouth hung open in disbelief, her eyes unfocused as she tried to assimilate what he was telling her.

Gaara lifted his hand up to her face cupping her cheek, his eyes full of emotion. "I'm sorry _ouka_, for all that you had to go through. You have no idea how sorry I am. But I promise you, right now, I will never let anyone else come between us."

Closing the small distance between them, his lips met hers, brushing softly. With the contact and the knowledge she had just been given, Sakura's walls came tumbling down in an instant and she kissed him back desperately.

It was like fresh rain after centuries of drought.

Gaara felt like if he had been blessed by heaven as his tongued plunged into her mouth and his hands traveled all over her body, touching her, caressing her. He felt alive again… a feeling he hadn't experienced since the day she walked out of his life. It was like a dream, a blissful dream he had had many times through the years they had been forced to live apart, but only this time, he was never going to wake up. His beautiful woman was with him, here and now; she was real and she wasn't going anywhere. She was the love of his life and she would stay with him until the end of his days.

Straddling his hips as their kiss deepened and became more frantic, Sakura expressed all the bottled up love she had for him with her tongue. Exploring his mouth, she let him know in no small terms how much she had missed him… how lost she had been without him. Cupping his cheeks with her hands, she brought his face up to her, holding him in place while she devoured him. Never in her life would she have thought that she would ever have a chance to kiss him again, to love him again. But now, the universe had answered her prayers and they were free to cherish each other once more. Bliss wouldn't even come close to the feeling she was experiencing.

Growling as he broke their kiss abruptly, Gaara's mouth trailed hotly down her neck, biting and licking as he went. The pink haired girl threw her head back, relishing in the feel of his tongue on her exposed flesh. But he would never be satisfied with a small portion of her skin, not when he could have all of her. He grabbed her bottom firmly and stood up from the couch, making his way over to her bedroom, kissing her ardently as he went.

Sakura barely registered the fact that they were no longer on the couch. She could only concentrate on the dominant presence of her lover, of the man she had craved for so long. He put her down near her bed, hands touching her everywhere, making quick work of her clothes.

"Gaara," she told him breathlessly, looking up into his eyes. "Make love to me."

He answered her request by taking off his shirt, exposing his deliciously muscular torso. Tracing the lines of his muscles with her fingertips, Sakura leaned in to drop butterfly kisses all over his chest. He embraced her then, lifting her face up to him to consume her mouth in another passionate kiss.

As he held her to him, he dropped both of them onto the bed, never breaking contact with her lips. Moaning softly at his tender caresses, Sakura lost all rational thought, not caring about anything else in the world except for the man in her arms, for the feelings he was provoking all over her body.

The early afternoon sun broke through the overcast on the day that two forcefully separated lovers became one once more.

XXXXXXXX

Late in the night, the moonlight streaked in through the window only to find a red headed man looking intently at the beautiful woman beside him. He caressed her hair, her cheeks, her arms… every single part of her skin which was exposed above the blankets.

After three agonizing years, Gaara felt whole again. He felt like a part of him which had been missing all this time had been finally returned to him. Breathing out deeply, his jade eyes looked over her face for the hundredth time, never tiring of seeing the peaceful way her features looked when she was asleep. He would never be able to get his fill of her, not after all the time they had been obligated to spend away from each other. Hence, he watched her sleep, memorizing every single details of her precious face.

But as much as he would have liked to spend the rest of the night cradling her protectively in his arms, he just couldn't stay.

There was some unfinished business he needed to attend to… there was punishment to be given out. His anger, which had been hiding effectively while he was engulfed by the emotions of their lovemaking, was quickly returning and he knew he wouldn't be able to rest until Jiro's face was buried beneath his fist.

Eyes hardening cruelly at the thought of the other man, Gaara came closer to Sakura's face, tucking a loose stand of pink hair behind her ear. No one in this life could touch what was _his_ without facing the consequences, especially when the bastard had actually harmed her and had left the marks of his vile fingers on her flawless skin.

A raging jealous anger thrummed throughout his whole being at that moment and he embraced Sakura possessively, holding her close to him. Instinctively in her sleep, she cuddled against his warmth, a satisfied sigh leaving her lips. That was how it should always be; she should always turn to him for protection and always look for him when she was in need, no matter how small the matter was. He was here to protect his woman, to take care of her… and he intended to do just that. He would never let her down, not after all they had been through.

Holding her tightly for a few more moments, he finally decided it was time to go. He had no qualms about leaving her alone, since the person who had threatened their relationship was already dead. Gaara knew that if he left, took care of his pending business and returned, she would be here waiting for him. She would never leave him again, he was sure of that.

He got up from the bed carefully and proceeded to put on his clothes as silently as possible. Making his way to the living room, he turned the light on and searched for a piece of paper among the clutter his girl kept on top of the table. Shaking his head slightly at her mess, he scribbled down a quick note and let her know that he would be back soon.

Returning to the bedroom, he placed the note on top of the pillow he was using. He leaned in, kissing her tenderly on the lips, and was utterly tempted to get back into bed with her when she gave out a small moan at his contact. But he reminded himself of the things he needed to do and forced himself to walk out of the room.

Making sure to lock the door from the inside, he closed it softly behind him and strolled hurriedly down the hall of Sakura's apartment building. As he walked, he took out his cell phone from his jeans pocket and quickly dialed the number of one of his best agents, not caring about how late it was. After a few rings, the man finally answered.

"I need you to find someone," he said impatiently as he walked out of the building and into the waning night.

_Ouka_: another word for cherry blossom; it can also mean 'song of praise'.

Well, there you have it! The lovers are back together but what other issues will they be forced to face? I promise I'll update soon since I really want to finish this thing quickly so I can get back to writing by other stories.

* * *

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	3. Fated

**A/N: **FINALLY! I managed to finish this thing! Sorry for the long wait, but you're probably all very aware of the erratic way in which my mind works. Whenever I plan to sit down and write something, the words for something completely different end up flowing. Sigh.

Just so you know, Gaara enters one of the lower levels of 'Shukaku mode' in this chapter. So, just in case you're squeamish about violence, you've been properly warned. Since I'm used to high levels of violent behavior (comes with the job description of being an anime addict!), I never really know when it's actually too much. But I did keep it at a normal level… hopefully.

Thank you so much for the support all of you have shown for this fic! It's greatly appreciated!

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**Fated**

A soft light hovered over her eyelids, forcing Sakura to leave the blissful realm of sleep. Opening them slowly, she realized that a gap in the curtains was the source of the luminescence responsible of waking her up. She pouted slightly in annoyance and turned round on the bed, her back to the window. It was in this new position that a lingering fragrance in the pillows and sheets registered in her still sluggish brain and it took a moment for her to place it.

It was a peculiar smell, completely unique and undeniably masculine. It held traces of sandalwood and of other fragrances she couldn't exactly pinpoint, but the end result was a heady scent which drove her senses crazy and forced eager sighs from her lips…

_Gaara._

Eyes opening rapidly, she scanned the half of the bed she was facing, no signs of the aforementioned man anywhere. As sleep quickly vanished altogether, memories of the previous day came flooding back and she found herself overwhelmed with emotion. Before she could help herself, she pressed her face against the sheets, inhaling deeply and filling her lungs with his marvelous scent.

The events of the preceding day could not be described as anything short of a miracle. After 3 years, the man she had always loved had showed up at her door and had taken all her pain and anguish away with a brush of his lips. Gaara had brought hope back into Sakura's life… hope she had long since lost after the experiences she had been through.

His father was dead… _dead_. The only person who had ever dared to interfere with their relationship was gone and would not be bothering them ever again. The person who had crushed Sakura's heart with fear for Gaara was no longer a part of this world… and now, after so many years, they were free to love each other as they wished.

Tears ran freely down her cheeks as she buried her face even more in the sheets of her bed, trying to cover herself with his scent. The lingering fragrance was clear evidence that all that had happed was real, that it wasn't a dream… and the happiness swelling inside the pink haired girl's heart was too intense to stay hidden. Crying in joy for the second chance she had been given, she thanked whatever God was listening at the moment for being so good to her.

She wouldn't hurt him this time, not after all the anguish she had put him through. True, it hadn't been her fault in the first place, but that didn't mean Sakura didn't feel guilty about the torment Gaara had suffered due to her disappearance. She completely regretted the decision which had been forced upon her, even though she knew she hadn't been given any choices. But now, he was with her again and she had been given the opportunity to make it up to him.

Lifting her face up, she looked round her room for any other signs of him. His clothes weren't on the floor where she had thrown them last night and the spot next to her was completely devoid of warmth, which meant that he had left hours ago. Biting her lip in annoyance, Sakura looked up over the bed once more and finally spotted a folded piece of paper on top of the pillow her lover had used.

Taking it quickly, she scanned over the written words, initially marveling over the untidy writing she hadn't seen in years.

_Ouka,_

_There's some business I need to attend to. It won't take long so I'll be back soon. Start packing your things, you're moving into my apartment today._

It was so typical of him to give her orders! On any other occasion she would have thrown a tantrum at his bossiness but not this day. Even though Sakura had an amazing independent streak and hated to be told what to do, she knew there was no point in arguing with Gaara on this one… especially when she thought he was absolutely right. She wouldn't be satisfied until they were both living underneath the same roof and she knew very well that he wouldn't have it any other way either.

Jumping out of bed, she giggled in unsuppressed glee and proceeded to make herself breakfast. She knew she needed to start packing, but there were some other things she needed to attend to first. Even though it was Saturday, she had promised one of her co-workers that she would cover part of the morning at the health centre today, which meant she needed to spend at least 2 hours there before she was free. Hence, she made herself a quick breakfast and wrote down a note for Gaara.

Sakura was showered and ready 15 minutes later, wanting, for the first time in her life, to get her job over with for the day so she could get on with other things… or other people. Smiling as she closed and locked the door behind her, she taped her note on the door for her red head to find before walking down the corridor, a cheery gait in her step.

It was truly one of the happiest days of her life.

XXXXXXX

He was angry… extremely angry. The stupid worm had evaded him somehow and no matter where he looked, the bastard was nowhere to be found.

Gaara's agents had given him accurate information concerning Jiro's whereabouts and had given him both his home and office address. Wanting to give the maggot a rude wake up call, the red head arrived at the businessman's luxurious house at around 6 in the morning, but he was disappointed to find that the man wasn't there.

From what Gaara could tell, he hadn't come home at all during the night. Knowing how workaholic these business freaks could be, he decided to check his office. The idiot had probably tried to calm his frustration by working himself to exhaustion, which in truth, didn't sit very well with the red head. He wanted Jiro to be completely healthy and rested when he came to enact his vengeance… he wanted to see the asshole try to struggle while he gave him the beating of his life. For the man to be helpless as a rag didn't offer any type of entertainment for Gaara, not with the fury inside of him building up with each passing moment.

No man touched his woman without paying for it… _no man_.

When he arrived at the office building, he found it to be closed. One of the security guards told him the building opened to the public until around 8am. It was already 7:30, Gaara could wait.

Making his way over to a nearby café, he decided that it was a good time to have his morning coffee buzz. He had developed an addiction to the brown liquid during the time he was forced to be separated from Sakura, since he found it helped him to calm his anxiety and also had the beneficiary effect of keeping him awake whenever he needed to stay up late to finish some work.

He gulped down three cups of coffee and one espresso while he waited, his eyes never leaving the doors of the adjacent building. As he sat there, the accelerating effect of his drink was starting to run through his body and in his mind, he could clearly see Jiro as he forcefully grabbed Sakura outside her apartment… he could see the bastard's fingers digging into her flesh, bruising her pristine skin.

It was time to crush the fucker's face.

Gaara walked through the building doors at precisely 8:01 and took the elevator up to the 7th floor. There, he was met by the company's secretary and he asked to see Jiro immediately.

The woman regrettably informed him that Mr. Hagarashi had called in sick just minutes before, but that she could take Gaara's name and number and reschedule his appointment.

"No thank you," the red head replied viciously, "this is an appointment which just can't wait."

Once he was on the ground floor, he called up his agents again. They told him they would locate Jiro as soon as possible and would have his house monitored in case he decided to go back home. Once his whereabouts where known, they would call up Gaara immediately.

The caffeine wasn't helping with his mood and his rage was increasing by the minute. Usually, he forced himself through a strenuous workout whenever he felt like this, since only physical activity could successfully calm him. However, some years ago, there had been a person who had been able to soothe his violent temper more effectively than any exercise ever could, but he had been forced to look for other solution to his tantrums when she had disappeared from his life. But thanks to the workings of destiny, that was no longer the case.

Breaking the speed limit three times over, Gaara arrived at Sakura's apartment building in record timing. He took the steps two at a time and walked hastily down the corridor, intent on slipping back into bed with his lover and staying there for the rest of the day… or at least, until he received a call from his agents.

But as he reached her door, he picked up the note she had left for him and read over its contents. Sakura had left around 7am to go to the centre and would be gone for two hours. It was almost 9am now, which meant she would be coming home soon. This did little to appease his anger, but he would have to cope. Crumbling the small note in irritation, he decided it was a good moment as any to start helping her with her packing.

Picking her lock easily, Gaara stepped into her apartment, taking in the permeating perfume of his lover which lingered in the air. Soon, his own home would smell like this as well and once it did, he would finally be able to call himself a satisfied man.

The red head entered Sakura's bedroom and made his way up to her closet, wanting to tackle her clothing first. Opening up the wooden doors, he was surprised to find that it was half empty. His forehead creased in puzzlement as he took the clothes on the hangers to the bed… he didn't even need to make two trips.

Organizing the clothes, he recognized a small number of fancy blouses Sakura used to wear and some dresses. However, there were very few new articles of clothing and he only found one pair of jeans. There were a couple of trousers which she probably wore to work, but it was clear that they had seen better days.

He didn't like where this was going.

Opening up to her dresser, he found only a handful of t-shirts and underwear. Even though the drawers were relatively small, the bottom one was completely empty. Taking up the contents of the first cabinet, he placed the clothing on the bed, completely amazed at how little Sakura owned. It was one thing to live a simple life and not want to spend tons of money on clothes, but it was entirely something else not to replace garments which were clearly reaching the end of their days.

He opened up the second drawer and he took out a couple of sweat pants, a bathing suit, some old tank tops and some boxers Sakura used as pajamas. There was a surprise, however, waiting for him at the bottom and he stopped momentarily in his task to take a good look. It was an item of clothing he was extremely familiar with.

Taking it up lovingly with his hands, his breath quickened slightly when it came into full view. It was piece of lingerie Sakura had bought specially for his birthday in those last months they had been together. Black with red lacing, it came with indecent small panties and as he held it, Gaara couldn't help but remember how deliciously exquisite his pink haired beauty had looked in it.

Growling quietly with suppressed desire, the red head decided then and there that he would take his girl down to the closest Victoria's Secret store and would buy her a piece of lingerie for every day of the year. Finally, he had found a productive way in which to spend his money!

But as he took the rest of the clothing up to the bed, his treacherous mind got the best of him and he found himself wondering if Sakura had ever used the lingerie with anyone else. It was completely plausible since it had been a very long time since they had been together… Gaara had succumbed to sexual desires himself during this time, why wouldn't Sakura do the same?

Glaring at the now offending item, jealously pulsed through him as he thought of his woman in the arms of any another man. He threw the lingerie on the bed before stomping his way to the kitchen, intent on getting something to drink to try and alleviate his fuming. As he opened the refrigerator roughly, his jealous fit was replaced by serious concern when he found barely any food inside.

There was some milk, butter, half a carton of orange juice, a few apples and pears, an old lettuce, one tomato and no meat anywhere to be seen.

What was going on?

Straightening up, he opened the cupboards only to find a half empty box of cereal, a couple of cans of tuna and a few cups of instant ramen.

Gaara prayed that the reason behind the lack of food was that Sakura ate out everyday, but he had the underlying suspicion that this wasn't the case. He was starting to put two and two together and the result wasn't sitting very well with him.

Settling on a glass of water, the red head made his way to the living room, planning on beginning to tackle the messy pile of books on Sakura's table. As he crossed the room though, a blinking red light caught his attention and Gaara found his lover's answering machine on a small coffee table.

Without thinking about it twice, he pressed the button and proceeded to listen to her messages.

"_Sweetie, I'm calling to see how you're doing. Maybe we could go out for some coffee later today and catch a movie. My treat, obviously. I'm worried about you! I know you're at the center so give me a call when you get back!"_

If Gaara remembered the tone of the female's voice correctly, this was Sakura's blond friend, the one who had attended the cocktail party with her. Ino, she was called, if his memory served him right.

"_Sakura, darling…"_

As soon as the male voice sounded through the speaker, Gaara's nerves stood on edge and his anger returned with full force.

It was Jiro.

"…_I know I have to make this up to you somehow. I swear, I don't know what came over me. It's just that, I can't bear the thought of another man having you when it is clear that we're meant to be. You have no idea how sorry I am. Remember the trip to that beach resort I had mentioned? Well I booked us up for next weekend. I know you'll just love it. Our suite has a private outdoor Jacuzzi and we can sit in it while looking at the stars and…"_

In a single fluid movement, Gaara sent the answering machine flying across the room. It hit the wall with a loud crash and it disintegrated into pieces as it fell to the ground.

Who the _**hell**_ did this bastard think he was? Sakura going to a beach resort with _him_? The idiot had just signed his death sentence and Gaara would relish in being his executioner.

He was about to call up his agents again when the front door swung open and in walked Sakura, her satchel full of medical records.

"Good morning," she said happily, a full smile on her lips when she caught sight of her red head standing in the middle of her living room.

At seeing her smile, Gaara's temper lessened significantly. In a blink of an eye, he was standing next to her, engulfing her in a tight hug. Without a word, he kissed her deeply, closing the door behind her with his foot.

Slightly breathless, the pink haired girl finally came up for air only to stare lovingly into his jade eyes. He was her dream come true and there was nothing which would stand between them now.

"Did you eat breakfast?" she asked.

"I had some coffee earlier."

"That's not breakfast!" Sakura exclaimed. "Let me make you something."

"And what exactly are you going to make me?" he asked sarcastically as she headed towards the kitchen, knowing very well that there wasn't much to offer.

Missing the irony in his voice completely, Sakura laughed cheerily at his comment, but as she opened the fridge her smile faded slightly. Damn it, she knew there was something she had needed to do before returning home!

"Ok, there isn't much. How about ordering something? There's a really nice pancake place round the corner. I can call and pick up our food in around 15 minutes…"

But Gaara didn't let her finish. Closing the refrigerator door as he pulled her up towards him, he pinned her with one of his trademark stares.

"Sakura, why isn't there any food in your kitchen?"

'Direct as always,' the pink haired girl thought helplessly.

"Well, I sort of forgot to go grocery shopping this week…"

"Ouka, grocery shopping isn't something you forget to do."

"Oh come on, it isn't as if I'm starving!" she replied defensively, reaching up to open a nearby cupboard. Her plan backfired however, since it was only filled with a pair of tuna cans.

'Shit,' she cursed inwardly. This was a discussion she _did not_ want to have with him.

Avoiding his gaze, she turned to open the fridge once more and reached for the orange juice. Things were about to get a lot worse for her though, since as she took up the carton, the lights of the refrigerator suddenly went out.

Turning abruptly towards the microwave, she noticed that the lights on its clock were out as well.

"Noooo," she moaned, "this can't be happening." She turned on the light switch on the wall while crossing her fingers, but luck wasn't with her this day. "I paid the bill yesterday, damn it!" she yelled feebly.

Walking over to the living room, she found her purse on the sofa and opened it, looking desperately through it. After a few moments, she found the bills she had taken care of the day before and looked over the dates on the paper.

"Damn it!" she yelled in frustration while looking down at her electricity bill. She had paid the receipt from two months ago but had neglected to pay the one from the previous month. Groaning loudly, she let herself fall in defeat upon the couch, the bills in her hands.

Gaara watched her in silence, the pieces of the puzzle finally coming together. He came over and kneeled in front of her, taking her hands in his.

"Sakura, why didn't you tell me you were having money problems?" he asked, a hurtful tone in his voice.

"It's not something you just talk about, ok?" she replied, completely defensive. "I don't want anyone's charity."

"It's not about receiving anyone's charity, it's about asking for help when you need it," he told somewhat harshly. It was one thing to try and solve a situation as best as you could by yourself but it was something else entirely when you chose to hide behind your pride when you realized you couldn't get out of it on your own.

Not wanting to meet his eyes out of embarrassment, Sakura kept her emerald orbs locked on the carpet.

He regretted seeing her like this. From the looks of things, she had been struggling with money for some time now. Even though he had no way of knowing what she was going through, this didn't mean he didn't feel bad about it, wishing that things would have been different. Never in his life would he let her suffer like this again, _never_. He would provide for her in every single way and she would never lack anything else for as long as she lived.

Sighing loudly, Gaara knew that, for the time being. he wouldn't be getting any further information concerning the situation out of her. "It doesn't matter anyway," he told her, "you'll be moving in with me and you'll never have to pay a damn bill for the rest of your life."

Sakura looked up at him, a retort involving her much needed independence on the tip of her tongue. But before she could say anything, the red head pushed his cell phone towards her. "You wanted breakfast right? Here, call that pancake place and I'll go pick up the food."

Leaving her to order, he stood up and headed towards her bedroom once more, intent on finishing with the packing he had started. Sakura walked in a couple of minutes after and stared dumbfounded at the neat pile of clothes on her bed.

"What _are _you doing?" she asked in alarm.

"Packing," he answered simple, his commanding tone leaving no room for argument.

Knowing that it was useless to say anything, Sakura sat down at the edge of her bed and started folding some of her shirts. In truth, as she looked at her entire wardrobe stashed up in her bed, she realized how little she did own. No wonder he had picked up on her money issues so quickly! After emptying her closet in less than 3 minutes, it didn't take a genius to figure it all out.

The red head proceeded to throw things into a large back pack he had found under the bed and realized that he would only need another small bag to put everything else in.

"After you get settled down at my place, I'm going to take you shopping and you will_ not_ dare to protest against it," he threatened.

"Fine," she said curtly, crossing her arms across her chest and huffing a little. She hated when he was right about things and when she couldn't find a flaw in his arguments. It irritated her to no end, especially when he used that arrogant tone in his voice.

Recognizing the stubborn look in her eyes, Gaara chuckled as he came towards her, kissing her tenderly on the lips. Her body responded automatically to his touch and she found herself deepening the kiss and wrapping her arms around his neck. He kissed her back just as passionately but he broke the contact after a few moments.

"If we keep this up, you'll be naked in less than a minute. Tell me were this pancake café is located so I can pick up the food. After that, I promise I'll finish this… and don't think I haven't noticed the tub in your bathroom."

Cheeks blushing slightly at his implications and at the sensuous images coming unbidden into her mind, Sakura hurriedly explained the location of the small restaurant and saw her red head to the door.

She finished packing the few items of clothing remaining on the bed into a large handbag. Looking around, she realized she would need some boxes to pack most of her stuff. She headed towards the kitchen, remembering she had some cardboard boxes stashed away somewhere, but as she crossed the living room, she couldn't resist taking a peek out the window.

Smiling as she caught sight of the sexy red head walking down the sidewalk, Sakura couldn't help but sigh loudly at the impressive vision he made. Everything about him spoke of an arrogant personality… from the way he carried himself to the way his jade eyes dismissed the things around him; it was as if the trivial things in life weren't worth his time and he discharged them without a second thought. Knowing that this arrogance had, at the beginning, been a way for him to hide his insecurities, she knew that things were different now. During his life, Gaara had been able to attain a hard-gained confidence by fighting his way through the many obstacles he had been forced to face. And after so many difficulties and hindrances, nothing in this world could make him doubt himself ever again.

Sakura found her eyes lingering on his body… on the very interesting way his jeans fit his muscular form. At this short distance, the pink haired girl could see the muscles of his arms and memories of a shirtless Gaara flooded her mind, making her heartbeat increase momentarily.

So concentrated was she on admiring the sexy figure of her boyfriend, that she failed to notice the speeding car until it was too late.

The incoming vehicle made its way up the sidewalk, trying to run Gaara over. Sakura shrieked as she saw the red head dodge it expertly while he jumped out of the way at the last second, lading in a roll on the pavement.

It stopped a short distance away and as Gaara was getting up, five men stepped out of the car and advanced towards him.

"Jiro!" Sakura exclaimed, as she recognized the man in a business suit. In general measures, Jiro was a tall man but he was positively dwarfed by the other four men.

"I see you brought your thugs to do your dirty work," Gaara told Jiro as they approached, hardly intimidated by their size and numbers. "It's so typical of a cowardly bastard like yourself to do such things, especially when you try to run over a man while hiding inside a car instead of coming to face him personally."

"I don't need to explain myself to anyone," Jiro answered, a crazy look in his eyes, "and especially not to you. In fact, we saw you walking down the street by coincidence, since we're really here to pick Sakura up and running you over wasn't an opportunity I was about to miss."

"So you brought backup because she beat you up when you came by yourself," Gaara said, chuckling mirthlessly. "You really _are_ a coward."

"Seize him," Jiro ordered his men, fuming. "You're clearly mistaking cowardice for intelligence, you dim-witted prick."

As the four men advanced towards him, Gaara moved quickly to the side, trying to avoid their grasp. He sent a couple of punches in their direction, but it was easy enough for two of the thugs to grab him by the arms. Once they had a hold on him, it was useless for the red head to struggle… or at least, it seemed so.

"What the hell is he _doing_?" Sakura asked out loud in exasperation. She had seen Gaara fight many times before and she knew that he wasn't even attempting to _do_ anything. He was a Kyokushin world champion, for God's sake! He was definitely up to something and Sakura didn't know if it would turn out alright. Gaara had a nasty habit of letting his anger get the best of him and when he did, the rational part of his mind tended to disappear completely.

She knew she should call the police and she knew she should be doing _something_. But try as she might, her eyes were glued to the scene outside her window and especially on the red head in the grasp of those disgusting brutes. All Sakura could do now was pray for Gaara's safety.

"So you think you deserve her?" Jiro asked, a sneer twisting his face. "You think you're good enough for her, you useless bastard? You only have money and power because you inherited it from your _daddy_. Unlike me! I climbed up the ladder of the business world with my own bare hands. My achievements are only _mine_. I don't owe them to anyone else."

"You can take your business crap and shove it up your ass!" Gaara replied harshly.

Anger boiling at the insulting words, Jiro stepped forward and hit the red head in the face. Gaara's head jerked sideways with the force of the blow, but as he turned towards his attacker once more, an evil grin was starting to spread all over his face.

"You call that a punch, you sissy?" he asked mockingly.

Jiro hit him again, but Gaara was still unaffected by the blow. The grip of the two thugs holding him didn't waver one bit; however, the red head wasn't the least perturbed by this. Everything was going according to plan.

"It seems you only have the courage to beat a guy up when he's being held by someone else," Gaara said contemptuously. "That shows how much of a man you are."

"I'm more of a man than you!" Jiro exclaimed furiously, stepping up even closer to Gaara. He stopped until his face was mere centimeters from the red head's. "You think you could treat _her_ like the true lady she is? You think you're refined enough for her to be your woman? You're fooling yourself."

"No, you fucker, you're than the one who's delusional," Gaara replied in a harsh whisper, his jade eyes matching the maniacal grin on his lips.

The moment Gaara had been waiting for since yesterday had finally arrived.

Neck muscles contracting with the violence of his movement, the red head brought his head forward, viciously hitting Jiro's nose with his forehead in a brutal headbutt. As blood flowed freely down his face, the business man stumbled backwards, bringing his hands up to his fractured bone as he screamed in pain.

The two remaining thugs made their way towards Gaara, ready to punish him for his actions. But as soon as they were close enough, the red head leaned into the hold the other brutes had on his arms, and using them as support, he sent a violent kick in the direction of the closest man. His foot connected directly with his jaw and a gruesome crack was heard before the dazed brute crumbled to the pavement.

But Gaara didn't have time to celebrate his victory. Taking advantage of the distraction his movements had caused, he managed to free his left arm and sent a backhanded punch towards the thug that had been holding him. The large man dodged the blow and retaliated by aiming a hit directly at the red head.

The speed he had gained after years of Kyokushin practice didn't disappoint him and he ducked the incoming fist just in time. Instead of striking his enemy, the idiot hit his companion who was still holding Gaara's right arm, directly in the stomach. The red head's appendage came free and he took advantage of the confusion to smash the incoming brute's kneecap with a kick. Groaning in agony, the man dropped to the floor, cradling his smashed tendons and bone.

There were two down but he still had two to go. As the thug on his right cradled his stomach from the blow he had just received, Gaara concentrated on the remaining man, who was by then directly on top of him.

Sakura's breath caught in her throat when she saw her lover twist round to avoid a deadly kick aimed at his shoulder. His attacker came in hard, barely giving Gaara time to catch his balance. But the red head was notoriously known for being extremely quick on his feet. He blocked the kicks expertly with his forearms as the thug kept forcing him back. This gave the other man time to recover and he made his way round Gaara, coming at him from behind.

This was exactly where the red head wanted him.

As Sakura watched her lover move with the fluidity of mercury, her breath was taking away by the precision and grace with which he performed his movements. She had seen him fight many times before, but every time she did, she was mesmerized all over again with the unique style of his fighting. Gaara always made things look so easy, even when performing the most complex of techniques. And now, after so many years of being bereft of the privilege of seeing him at his best, she felt her chest tighten with overwhelming emotions.

She would always be safe with him, no matter what happened. Her lover would never let harm come near her _ever_ and the events she was watching were evidence enough of that.

The red head danced between the two thugs as if they were moving in slow motion. He forced them to hit each other and he dedicated himself to dodging the blows so they would tire each other down. At any time one of them let their guard down, Gaara was there to hand out a vicious hit.

Whenever a rich man went out of his way to hire a thug to do his dirty work, he always made sure to employ the stupidest man available. The reason behind this fact wasn't clear; maybe it had something to do with preventing the brutes from overpowering the employee, but the result was always the same. Their muscles usually took up all the space their brains should've occupied.

And these pitiful idiots weren't the exception.

It took them quite a number of blows and injuries for them to realize that they weren't a match for Gaara's speed and precision. By the time they thought it would be prudent to change their tactics, it was already too late.

The red head came in hard with a right hook, hitting the man in front of him directly in the nose. Another gruesome crunching noise ensued as the brute stumbled backwards. In the same position, Gaara brought his right arm backwards, smashing the man behind him directly in the mouth with his elbow… in that instant, the red head was sure he felt the bastard's front teeth come free from the intensity of the blow.

By then, both maggots were already too tired to recover in time. Jumping forward, Gaara landed a flying kick on the man directly in front of him, his foot connecting directly with the brute's chest. The large man flew backwards, landing with a strangled grunt some distance away.

Turning immediately towards the last remaining thug, the red head threw a brutal punch at the man, hitting him directly in the temple and forcing him to stumble on his companion, who was still on the floor moaning over his crushed knee cap. The brute lost his balance when he collided with his cohort and fell to the ground, hitting his head forcefully against the sidewalk.

When Sakura saw the last man fall, she ran towards the door, making her way down her building corridor and down the steps at full speed.

But Gaara wasn't finished. Once he made sure that none of the bastards would be standing up anytime soon, he advanced threateningly towards Jiro, who was sitting on the payment looking at the scene with horrified eyes, blood covering his face.

"You're a monster!" the business man screamed.

It was definitely the wrong thing to say.

Picking the man up by the collar of his shirt, Gaara held him up using only one arm. He looked Jiro directly in the face, a maniacal look in his jade eyes.

"A monster?" he asked calmly, the tone of his voice completely at odds with his expression. "Monster is the man who lays a hand on the woman he's supposedly in love with," he finished, anger thrumming through his entire being.

Punching Jiro in the stomach several times, Gaara wasn't satisfied until he heard the other man gasping for breath. He threw him against the pavement as if he were a rag doll only to pick him up again as he advanced towards the car parked halfway on the sidewalk.

The red head lifted him up one final time, looking at the pitiful business man with his merciless green eyes. "Since you have money," he told him, "I'm sure you'll be able to pay for a plastic surgeon. But I just want you to know that your company will be mine soon, so I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you."

And with that, he threw Jiro against the car and grabbing the back of his head with both hands, he smashed him through the window, breaking it violently with his face.

Leaving him there, head hanging inside the vehicle with his body outside against the door, Gaara looked up to admire his handy work, completely satisfied with the turn of events. The sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention and he turned to see Sakura coming towards him at a full run.

He advanced towards her and caught her in his arms when she reached him.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her concern clearly showing in her voice while at the same time, she checked his arms and face for injuries.

Sighing in relief, the pink haired girl quickly found out that he had emerged from the whole incident with only a few bruises and minor scratches.

Looking behind him, she stared at the bodies strewn across the sidewalk, amazed at everything Gaara had done on his own.

"You really _are_ a one-man army," she stated, somewhat in shock.

He surveyed the scene as well, chuckling at her affirmation, doing nothing to refute her claim. Holding her for a few more moments, he suddenly remembered that he was in the middle of an errand when all of this had happened.

"Ouka, here," he said to her as he handed her his wallet. "Pick our food up. I'm going to call the police so they can come and pick up this mess. I need you here for when they come, since you witnessed when they attacked me."

Nodding at him and not sparing Jiro a single glance, Sakura hurried down the street, clearly hearing Gaara as he talked on his cell phone to the police department. Looking down at the wallet in her hands, she was surprised to see it was extremely fat. Her curiosity got the better of her and she opened it up, only to see a thick load of cash stored safely inside.

'And this is probably what he calls change,' she thought with a sigh. 'I could doubtlessly buy the whole pancake café with this money!'

But as she walked, Sakura looked over her shoulder to glance at the sexy red head talking on his phone, looking completely comfortable while being surrounded by a group of bleeding injured men.

Smiling brightly, the pink haired girl told herself that she needed to get used to this type of thing. It was one of the drawbacks of having a violent, ill-tempered Kyokushin fighter as a boyfriend…

… but in truth, she wouldn't have it any other way.

XXXXXXX

**EPILOGUE**

Inhaling deeply as he woke up, Gaara opened up his eyes slowly, shifting comfortably in his bed. Without even looking in her direction, he reached over towards Sakura, only to find that she wasn't there.

Forehead creasing in irritation at not having there with him when he woke up, he lifted his face towards her half of the bed and scanned the room. She was no where to be seen but her presence was given away by her intoxicating perfume, which lingered clearly on the sheets. Knowing she would be somewhere nearby, the red head got up from bed, put on some boxers which he found lying on the floor and went out of his room.

Eyelids heavy with sleep, he forced himself awake as he made his way towards the living room. He shouldn't have bothered though, since the sight which met his eyes as soon as he walked into his sitting room was enough to bring him full into wakefulness.

Sakura was standing by one of his large windows, exactly how he'd pictured her countless times during their time apart. She was dressed in a silk robe, one of her newest acquisitions Gaara had convinced her into buying, and a cup of coffee in her hand as she surveyed the landscape of the mountain outside the window.

Making sure he didn't disturb her, the red head inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he relished the scent with which she permeated his home. 'No,' he corrected himself, 'it isn't just mine anymore… it's _our_ home.'

As he stood there, looking at the most beautiful woman in the world and losing himself in her unique aroma, Gaara allowed himself the pleasure of admitting that his life was now complete.

She turned to look at him when he stepped forward, his eyes never leaving her face as he came towards her.

"Good morning," she greeted with a smile.

"Good morning," he replied as he embraced her from behind and buried his face in her cherry blossom hair. "Are you going to the center today?" he asked, his voice muffled by her locks.

"Yes," she replied contentedly, "you know I have a lot to do, especially since you donated that large amount of money. The resident doctors have practically made me manager and since we're expanding, I'm in charge of hiring new people."

"That's good," he told her, "but you know I would prefer if you stayed all day in bed with me."

Laughing at his childish tone, she swatted him playfully on the arm. "Well, not all of us have the privilege of having an older brother like Kankurou to run our business when we're feeling particularly lazy."

"He volunteered for the job," Gaara said defensively, slightly irritated.

Sakura didn't deign him with an answer and only giggled in response.

Silence descended on the couple as both of them turned two pairs of green eyes towards the view outside the window once more. Leaning backwards even further, the Sakura lost herself in the feel of her lover's strong supporting arms, cherishing her with his protection and care.

Gaara squeezed back, kissing her softly on the cheek.

As they saw the morning sun shine through the clouds and caress the mountain side lovingly, the pink haired doctor and red haired fighter silently agreed that all was as it should be.

* * *

Read and review, everyone! 


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